All I want For Christmas
by Scousedancer
Summary: This is my contribution for the Writers Block Party story exchange, and is my Christmas present for Cortney (Morning Glory2), the prompt being Tom and Sasha future fic. So here's my take on how Tom & Sasha's Christmas might pan out


**All I Want For Christmas**

Authors Note: This story is for my good friend Cortney (aka: Morning Glory2), as part of her Christmas gift for our Last Ship Holiday Story Extravaganza. Hope you enjoy it Cortney!

 _December 20_ _th_ _, 2016_

Sasha stared at the screen, wishing she didn't have to make this call, she'd been putting it off all day in the hope some miracle would occur.

 _Dammit! It just isn't fair! Is it really so much to ask to be with my family at Christmas without some idiot causing a bloody crisis?! It's been months since I've seen them!_

She'd been deployed to Europe 4 months ago, as the Naval Attaché to President Oliver's newly appointed ambassador to the region. There had been so few survivors in mainland Europe that the remaining governments had banded together and formed a European parliament based in London. Although her expertise was primarily in Far Eastern affairs, her on the ground experience in the region acquired over the last year had made her, according to POTUS, the best person to advise the Ambassador.

It wasn't the usual role of an Intelligence agent or an Attaché, but with such a shortage of skilled personnel of any sort, it had fallen to Sasha to take up the role. Ambassador Douglas was a good man, and more than competent for his role. When it came to the rules concerning a nations sovereign territorial waters and what navies could or couldn't do in them however, the man was out of his depth.

Just before Sasha had been due to fly home for Christmas, the newly assembled Russian navy had decided, in a move reminiscent of the Cold War, to _accidentally_ wander into European territorial waters just off what had been the UK coastline. Needless to say, it had thrown the Europeans into a tizzy, protesting loudly whilst the Russians reacted with their usual bluster. Ambassador Douglas had volunteered to act as mediator which meant no trip home for Sasha, much to her fury and dismay. Switching on her laptop, she activated the Skype account she had linked to the desktop back at the riverside home she shared with Tom, Ashley, and Sam just outside St Louis. Suddenly Tom's face appeared onscreen, smiling broadly when he saw who was calling him.

"Sasha! Did I forget we were skyping today sweetheart?" Tom asked, delighted to talk to his wife of barely 4 months at any time, truth be told. They'd married just before Sasha had been deployed to Europe, and once again he reflected how odd it was that this time, _he_ was the one left behind.

"No, no you didn't forget Tom, I…I missed you, I miss the kids, and…" Sasha paused, trying to swallow back the tears that were threatening to fall. These days, she was so emotional, her Mrs Cool, calm, and collected, it was baffling her.

"You're not coming home for Christmas, are you sweetheart? The Russian problem, is it?" Tom said softly, correctly guessing the reason for her distress, he could see just how upset she was. Sasha just nodded, not surprised he'd deduced the reason for her call, despite no longer being on active service, Tom kept his finger on the pulse of world events. Plus, he'd always been able to read her better than anyone, it was one of the many things she loved about him.

"I'm so damn sorry Tom, I was all packed and ready to go when this all blew up, I had so many plans for our first Christmas as a family" She said tearfully, wishing he was there right then. To the outside world, Sasha appeared the epitome of an Intelligence Agent - competent, cool, and with a core of steel that had made many who came across her think twice before crossing her. Yet at home, with her newly acquired family, she was soft, gentle, and loving, but only with those she trusted – Tom thanked whatever gods there were she'd decided he was one of them, and moreover, worth a second chance.

"Sasha, it's me – I understand, had to make more than my fair share of these calls myself over the years, just ask the kids" He replied, motioning off camera to Sam and Ashley, knowing they'd want to talk to her.

Sasha smiled as the faces of her two step-children appeared on screen, their relationship had taken time to get to this stage, but had totally worth the effort. They hadn't been hostile, just understandably wary of anyone outside of their immediate circle of friends and family. It had taken a year of effort, taking things one step at a time but the close and loving relationship she had with both Sam and Ash was as precious to her as the one she shared with Tom.

"Hi Sasha!" They chorused "It sucks you can't come home! We miss you!"

"I miss you turkeys too – but I'll be home as soon as this mess is sorted out, so save a bit of Christmas for me ok?" Sasha told them, wishing once again she was back at the farm house, holding them all, instead of stuck here in London.

"You bet!" Sam chirped "We can have Christmas when you come back, we'll wait for you"

"I'll hold you to that, Sam Chandler, can't wait!" She told the young boy, praying she'd be able to make good on her promise of a swift return. Turning to look at Ashley, she could see how much the teenager had grown in just a few short months.

"How did the Christmas dance go Ash?" She asked, knowing how much the young girl had been looking forward to the dance they'd picked out the dress together for. Sasha leaned back in the chair, listening to the teen's excited chatter, with comments chipped in by Tom, sounding every inch the proud father. It was a role Sasha knew he cherished, and one she hoped he'd continue to enjoy once she came home and took up the new role POTUS had offered her. All too soon, she had to end the call, it was another early start tomorrow, another thing that was really starting to leave her feeling drained and miserable.

"I love you guys so much, and I miss you – I'll be home soon, I promise!" Sasha told them, the longing to be home with them fiercer than ever.

"We miss you too! Love you lots!" Sam and Ashley sang back, waving as they disappeared off screen, leaving Tom and Sasha to say their goodbye's.

"Ambassador Douglas is confident we'll be able to resolve this dispute quickly, so I _might_ make it home for New Years, I can hope, right?" Sasha said hopefully, her face so forlorn Tom wanted to reach through the screen and hug her.

"Sasha, it's ok! There'll be other Christmases, yeah I wanted you home for this one, but it hasn't worked out that way" Tom replied soothingly "We're proud of you, _I'm_ proud of you, and I love you"

"Love you too, Tom, so much!" Sasha said "Bye for now"

"See you when you get home Sweetheart" Tom whispered softly, reaching out to touch her face on the screen, as she reached forward to disconnect the call. As the screen went blank, Tom sat there staring into space, wondering whether it was possible to fly her gifts over to her, so at least she'd have something of home whilst she finished up in London.

"Dad, isn't there _any_ way we could get Sasha home?" Sam asked, wistfully, looking up at his father. Tom opened his mouth to say no, but as he went to refute his son's request, an idea crept into his head that just wouldn't go away.

"Maybe we can't get her home to us, but what if we could go to _her_?" Tom mused out loud, his mind already whirring away "After all, what's the point in being the man who saved the world, if you can't call in a few favours?"

"What are you talking about Dad?" Sam looked thoroughly confused, making Tom smile in amusement.

"It's ok buddy, I've got an idea how we can salvage Christmas after all" He told his puzzled son "Give me a few minutes, kiddo ok?"

Sam just nodded, still not quite understanding what exactly his father was on about, but grownups were weird like that sometimes. Grabbing up his mobile, Tom proceeded to call in just about every favour ever owed to him, until finally he had the solution he wanted – a flight to London. If Sasha couldn't come home for Christmas, then Christmas would just have to go to Sasha. It was a military flight leaving Norfolk Naval base with supplies the Europeans had requested, so it would be basic and noisy, but it would get them to London, and that was all they needed. The only snag was, the flight left tomorrow morning, Christmas Eve, and the only flight left from St Louis that was bound for Norfolk left in a few hours.

"Sam! Ash! Pack up the presents, grab some clothes, we're going to London!" Tom shouted up the stairs, grinning as the two startled faces of his children peered over the bannister railing at him.

"Dad, are you serious?!" Ashley queried, hoping this wasn't a joke, she missed Sasha, and had been so disappointed she hadn't been there for the dance.

"Yes! As serious as a heart attack!" He told them, borrowing Tex's favourite phrase "pack some warm clothing, I'll pack the gifts, we need to get to St Louis by 8pm, its 5 pm now and it's an hour's drive"

Frantically, they packed a small back each, loading up the Christmas presents into a sack Tom used for laundry. Tom sprinted over to their neighbour's, who kindly agreed to look after the house whilst they were away, before piling himself, the kids, and their small amount of luggage into the car. They barely made it to the airfield in St Louis, as even post apocalypse, you still got traffic jams but they made it in the nick of time. Several hours and two very tired children later, they were on the flight to London. Tom smiled in satisfaction, Sasha had no idea they were coming – it was going to make a wonderful Christmas present!

Sasha trudged back to the apartment the Navy had rented for her whilst she was deployed here in London, she refused to call it home. Home was St Louis now, with Tom, and the children – a beautiful farm house by the river, filled with memories and laughter. It was Christmas Eve, would be Christmas Day in fact in a few hours, so late had the talks finished.

"Merry Christmas to me" She said, thinking longingly of home "Bah humbug!"

Opening the door to her apartment, Sasha was stunned by the sight that greeted her. Stood in the middle of the room was a Christmas tree Sasha swore hadn't been there this morning, underneath it were gifts wrapped somewhat haphazardly, but what made her tear up with happiness were the two sleeping figures collapsed on the sofa in her living room.

"Merry Christmas Sweetheart" a voice whispered in her ear "Surprise!"

" _Tom?!_ What are you doing here?" She cried out softly, spinning around in his arms, before kissing him passionately, savouring his warm embrace, god but she'd missed him!

"When…how..?" Sasha stuttered, still too overcome with happiness to speak.

"When was this morning, and how was calling in every favour I was ever owed" Tom replied "I figured if you couldn't come home for Christmas, we'd come to you. Sorry the presents are a bit tattered, but the thought's what counts right?"

"I don't care if those presents are ripped to shreds, the best gift in the world is having you three here" Sasha returned "this is the best Christmas present you could've given me, it's all I wanted"

"Then Merry Christmas baby" Tom purred, taking her mouth in a sweet, passionate kiss - well as passionate as you could get with 2 sleeping children in the room. Sasha reluctantly broke the kiss to reach behind her to hand Tom a simple brown envelope, smiling as she did so.

"It's not much, but Happy Christmas Tom" she murmured quietly, watching as Tom pulled out a photograph - a photograph that had him beaming proudly, resting a hand over her stomach.

"Really? We're…" It was Tom's turn to stutter, as Sasha finished the sentence "having a baby!"

Tom pulled Sasha into his arms, twirling her around for a moment, before setting her down on her feet, he knew he was grinning like a loon, but he didn't care.

"I couldn't be any happier than I am right now sweetheart, is everything ok? Are you both ok?" He queried, trying not to wake Sam and Ashley, who were utterly exhausted.

"We're fine, both of us I only found out myself yesterday, I was going to Skype you, but now I can tell you in person" She grinned back at him, resting her forehead against his "Shall we wake the kids to tell them?"

"No, let them sleep, we can tell them in the morning" He replied, pulling her down onto the other sofa in the room "Let's just savour the moment for a while"

Snuggling up on the sofa, they drifted off to sleep, cherishing the news that their family of four was going to get a little bigger this time next year. For now, they had all they wanted for Christmas – each other, and that Sasha mused as she drifted off to sleep was more than enough.

MERRY CHRISTMAS !


End file.
